All posts by Rene Averett

Breads, Recipes

Beer Bread with Stout

Image: Guinness Bread

Hey, folks, I missed posting this last week. Very busy few days for me and this week isn’t much better. But I wanted to share this recipe with you for Guinness Beer Bread. When I made this, I used CarbQuick for all the flour needed in it. You can use other low carb flour types or baking mixes. Almond flour and coconut flour may not hold together as well, but will probably require another egg to bind it.

This bread has a biscuit quality to it and is heavier which makes it great for soaking up sauces and gravies. Even though Guinness is a strong stout, the flavor is fairly mild in the bread. Beer acts as a rising agent when making bread, replacing yeast. Even at that, I would like to see a taller loaf that comes closer to one made with wheat flour.

I will be trying another version of beer bread in a few months as we get to soup season (aka late fall and winter), so look for that in October or November.

Low Carb Guinness Beer Bread

4 cups CarbQuick
2 tablespoons Gluten Flour (optional)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons  sugar substitute
12 ounces Guinness stout
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.)

Prepare a standard (9x5x3-inch) loaf pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper or greasing. I used a copper pan that has a lift plate in it and put parchment over the top to ensure easy removal.

In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, sugar substitute, and salt. Stir together to mix before adding the Guinness and eggs. Use a wooden spoon to stir the liquid into the flour until it is just blended. The dough will be lumpy.

Pour the dough into the loaf pan and smooth it to make it even. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes until the top is golden brown and the top is firm.

Let cool a few minutes, then turn on a wire rack to cool. Serve while still warm. You can keep this in the ‘fridge for about a week.

Makes 16 to 18 slices.

Desserts, Product Review, Recipes

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Done 2 Ways, and a Product Review

 

A 48 ounce tub of Breyers CarbSmart Vanilla front of packLast week, I wrote about my quest to find some low carb ice creams other than CarbSmart, which our local grocery stores carry only in vanilla, even through three other flavors are available (chocolate, peanut butter, and smooth mint). When I asked one of our local stores to please carry other flavors, not just of CarbSmart but of other brands, I was told I could order a case, but they don’t have room on their shelves for many choices.

But I digress. I found other lower carb options at three of our local stores and sampled a couple of more.

Halo Top frozen dessert is probably the lowest carb ice cream ProductImage_WEB-MintChip-190620asubstitute on the market with most of their flavors coming in around 1 net carb. I tried their mint chocolate chip, which was very good although being sugar-free means it is harder than ice cream and needs to thaw for about 5 to 10 minutes before you can scoop it out. I’ve opened two of their cartons and both had a frozen lump of the product with lots of space around it within the container. They are supposed to hold two cups but I don’t think they do. Two of my ice cream scoops equal 1/2 cup and the mint had three servings in it. Halo Top comes in 26 different flavors sold in pint cartons. Of course, my  trio of grocery stores had about six different flavors between them. I would give this a rating of 4 stars. It tastes good, no after taste, but it isn’t as creamy as CarbSmart, and it seems a little shy on the stated quantity.

The other one I tried is Enlightened Frozen Desserts. This is a really good diary-free ice cream substitute, but it also contains more sugar than the others, so it comes in around 8 to 10 net carbs per serving. If you have enough carbs to spare, then this is a terrific option. I tried their Salted Caramel bars and their Chocolate Mint Swirl bars, and they are delicious. You don’t miss the cream in these at all, and there is no aftertaste. They make an amazing 32 different flavors and are available at a reasonable price in pint cartoons. Again, our local stores stock a few of their flavors. I give this one a 5-star rating, right up there with CarbSmart, except for the higher carb count.

So, if you are on a quest for ice cream substitutes, you might try one of these options. If you can get CarbSmart, it is made with cream, and delicious with only 4 net carbs per half cup.

How About a Recipe?

Now, since I haven’t posted a recipe in the past two weeks, here’s one that comes from a keto site for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fat Bombs. This is an almond flour dough that is eaten uncooked, so it is like eating cookie dough, sort of. The almond flour leaves it a little grainy, and it doesn’t taste totally like cookie dough to me. On the plus side, the flavor is pretty good, and one fat bomb makes a satisfying quick treat that boosts your carb burner with the fat content.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fat Bombs

Photo: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fat Bombs

The recipe is simple and is pretty much exactly as it is on the keto site I borrowed it from, except I rephrased it a bit. For one thing, the ingredients don’t have to be termed keto-friendly. Most of the sugar-free are. I used Hershey’s Sugar Free Chocolate Chips. I also used Splenda granulated which is almost fine enough to be confectioner’s sugar, but if you want to take it to a powder, you can do it in your blender.

1 stick Butter, softened
1/3 cup Confectioners Sugar Substitute
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
2 cups Almond Flour
2/3 cup Sugar-Free Chocolate chips

In a large bowl, add softened butter and beat until it is light and fluffy. Add in the sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat until mixed into the butter.

Add the almond flour, a little at a time, and mix until it is completely moistened. You may have to finish it off by hand. My mixer balked before the flour was completely mixed in. Stir in the chocolate chips. Place plastic wrap over the bowl and refrigerate for about twenty minutes.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper or waxed paper. Use a 1/2 tablespoon measure or a cookie scoop to form the dough into half-balls, flat on the bottom, and place on the paper. Put them in the refrigerator for another twenty minutes to firm the balls up, then put in a plastic bag and store in the ‘fridge until you are ready to snack on one. They will keep for about a week or you can freeze them for up to a month.

Makes about 36 balls.

Nutrition Info: ChocChip Fat Bombs

Make Those Bombs Cookies

Image: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now, as I mentioned, I wasn’t too enthused with these as a raw dough ball, so I decided to turn them into cookies. It’s an easy change, and I even added the egg after the rest was mixed. Ideally, if you’ve decided to make cookies, you’ll mix the egg in with the sugar and vanilla. These cookies are about the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve made. They are firm, yet soft in the middle and have a wonderful flavor. I had expected them to spread on the pan, so I only patted them down a little, but they held up through the cooking. If you want yours a little flatter, then press them down to the size you want.

1 stick Butter, softened
1/3 cup Confectioners sugar substitute
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
Pinch of Salt
2 cup Almond Flour
2/3 cup Sugar-Free Chocolate chips
1/4 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (optional)

Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, add softened butter and beat until it is light and fluffy. Add in the sugar, salt, egg, and vanilla and beat until mixed into the butter.

Add the almond flour, a little at a time, and mix until it is completely moistened.  Stir in the chocolate chips. Place plastic wrap over the bowl and refrigerate for about twenty minutes.

Use a one-tablespoon measure or cookie scoop to form the dough into half-balls, flatten on the bottom, and place on the paper, allowing 2 inches between cookies. Press down slightly to spread the dough. Place in the refrigerator for another twenty minutes to firm up.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned on top. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes or more. Almond flour is delicate and will break if you try to move the cookies while they are still hot.

Once they cool, enjoy or you can store in a plastic bag for a few days. Makes 18 delectable cookies.

Nutrition Info: ChocChip Cookies

If you try these products or these recipes, please leave me a message. I’d like to know how you like them or if you disagree with my opinion. Everybody’s taste buds are different.

Product Review

Product Review: Wink Frozen Desserts

For almost ten years, my main choice for an ice cream-like dessert has been CarbSmart from Breyers Ice Cream. Unfortunately, my local grocers only stock vanilla and the chocolate covered ice cream bars although Breyers makes a chocolate and a peanut butter ice cream as well. And they make a frozen mint  bar. I must work on persuading our grocers to stock them.

On a search for information about other low-carb, sugar-free ice cream alternatives, I found several, one of which was Wink Frozen Dessertstm that offered frozen treats so low in carbs that they seemed like a miracle. Made from plant products and completely natural, they sounded like a dream come true. And the choices were amazing. Wink had all the usual flavors plus strawberry cheesecake, pumpkin spice latte, and S’mores. In my enthusiasm and desire to try a few to review, I ordered seven varieties. The price per pint was about the same as buying an equivalent amount of Baskin-Robbins ice cream. Unfortunately, the similarities end there.

When the package arrived, beautifully packed with dry ice and a plant-based dissolvable sponge-like packing around the frozen pints, I popped them into the freezer and that night, PK and I had a scoop of the strawberry cheesecake. Saying it was disappointing is an understatement. The taste was bland, the dessert somewhat like a sorbet and lacking completely in strawberry or cream cheese flavor. In fact, I can’t even say what kind of flavor it had.

What was evident was the bitter aftertaste that followed each spoonful. The principal sweeteners used are Stevia and monk fruit. I have tried other things sweetened with monk fruit and haven’t experienced any bitterness. On the other hand, I am not a big fan of Stevia for precisely the reason that I can usually detect a bit of bitterness from it. This exceeded any I had experienced before and was even so pronounced that Sweet ‘n Low, which I had thought was the worst until now, was eclipsed by it.

After tasting this, I went back to my computer to look for reviews on Wink’s product. Sadly, I found that the vast majority of reviews were very negative, usually one to two stars for precisely those reasons. Lack of flavor and bitter aftertaste.

At this point, I still have six untried pints of this frozen dessert in my freezer, but I haven’t been eager to try another one. Even if the flavoring pops in the Pumpkin Spice Latte, the aftertaste from the sweetener is likely to be the same.

Now, if you don’t notice any bitterness from Stevia or your taste buds read it differently, then you might enjoy this product. I can’t personally recommend it, but a few reviews did declare it excellent. I would advise that you don’t order more than the minimum order of 4 pints until you decide for yourself. These are sold in many groceries across the country, so you might find one locally to buy one pint to try. A store locator is on the Wink website.

If you try it, let me know how it tasted to you.

Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood

Delightful Shrimp with Avocado Pesto

Photo: Shrimp with Avocado Pesto

I found this lovely Creamy Avocado Pesto recipe at AllRecipes.com and adapted it to make this delightfully refreshing shrimp pasta with butternut rotini.

As I was contemplating my pasta substitute choices at the grocery store, I spotted Mann’s Butternut Rotini, whooped in excitement, and bought a package. You don’t have to use this exact thing in the recipe. Cubed or spiraled butternut will work just as well, or you can use zucchini noodles I am just excited that Mann’s is making these prepared vegetable options available. In addition to the butternut rotini, they also have cauliflower rice, sweet potato fettuccine, baby cauliflower caulilini, and kohlrabi linguini. I am eager to try all of these except the sweet potato since it is a little higher in carbs than the rest, although the serving size is 1-1/2 cups, so if you cut back to 1/2 cup, you could still have some. Check these out at the Mann’s website. 

Back to this recipe. The avocado pesto is easy to make. Fresh basil is a must. I had to buy a whole basil plant to get any at my grocery store, but with luck, yours might have some in their produce department. I used large shrimp, but you can use the medium ones.

Shrimp with Avocado Pesto

1 10 ounce-package Butternut Squash Rotini
1/2 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 lemon, juiced or 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/2 cup fresh basil, or more to taste
4 tablespoons grated Romano cheese, halved
2 cloves garlic
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil, or as needed
1/4 cup diced tomatoes, or more to taste (optional)
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cook the butternut rotini in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes to get them partially cooked. (They are in a steamer bag, but it popped open mid-way, so cut a small opening in it to let the steam out.)

In a large skillet, add one tablespoon oil, then add the rotini to cook. Stir it often until it softens, then add the cleaned shrimp and stir fry until the shrimp turn pink. Remove from heat.

In the blender, use a spoon to scoop out the avocado, then add lemon juice, basil, two tablespoons of the Romano, garlic, salt, and black pepper. If you’d like a little more spice, add about 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper. Pulse until smooth, then add remaining olive oil, pulsing until it looks creamy. Transfer the pesto to the skillet with shrimp and rotini and stir it to coat evenly. Add the rest of the Romano cheese along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Serve immediately. You can refrigerate left-overs for a day or two. The avocado may turn a little darker, but it is still good, and it reheats well.

Makes four delicious servings.

Nutrition Info Shrimp with Avocado Pesto

Breakfast & Brunch, Mexican/Spanish Recipes, Recipes

Spice it up with a Spanish Omelet Pepper Ring

Image: Spanish Omelet Pepper Ring

The first time I heard of a Spanish omelet was when I was a child watching an episode of “Dragnet,” and Friday’s partner was cooking one when Friday stopped by his home. My grandmother promptly made one for me the next morning based on the one in the show.

I’ve seen eggs cooked in bell pepper rings on a Keto diet as well as Atkins. It’s an excellent low carb option, but I decided to kick it up a level by making a Spanish omelet in the ring. It’s still simple to do and tastes muy fabulous.

Spanish Omelet in Bell Pepper Rings

2 Bell Pepper rings*
2 Eggs
1 tablespoon Ricotta Cheese
1/4 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning
1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese
2 tablespoon Salsa
Salt and Pepper to taste

*To cut the rings, use a large bell pepper, slice off the top (or the bottom), remove the seeds, and cut across the pepper at about 1/2 inch to cut a ring. Repeat for the second ring. The pepper makes from 3 to 4 rings. Save the top and bottom for using elsewhere.

Put the pepper rings on a paper towel and microwave for 30 to 40 seconds to just soften it a little.

In a bowl, break the eggs, add the ricotta cheese and seasoning and whisk together until well mixed.

Heat a pan to medium-high heat and add a little butter. When it is melted and sizzling, put in the pepper rings and divide the egg mixture between them. The egg will leak out some, so use a spatula to push the egg back against the peppers. The eggs should begin to set with 15 to 20 seconds.

Once they are set, lower the temperature a little, put a lid over the pan and cook for about five minutes, then flip the eggs over. Put 2 tablespoons cheese on top and add a tablespoon of salsa. Let the cheese melt a little, then remove to a plate.

Makes two servings. (Or one hungry person serving.)